Episode 23 - Scenario Design: Red Markets
Ugly Talk
This month Matt and Travis invite 3 special guests (and one tag along) to the show. Travis has struggled trying to work with the Red Market's RPG system. Tonight, with the help of our guests, we hope to rectify that. Along the way we will talk the different focuses GM's have when designing games, our advice for learning how to write scenarios, and personal tricks for running games. Special thanks to Technical Difficulties' Greg, Laura, and Adam as well as Roleplaying Exchange's Sean for all their assistance with the creation of this episode. Media Referenced: - Guest Information Matt...
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Episode 22 - Detroit vs The Wire
Ugly Talk
David Cage's Detroit: Become Human has become something of a bad joke among those who have experienced it due to its nonsensical twists and poor handling of the idea of the Civil Rights Movement. Since the internet at large has spent more than their fair share of time beating it down, we felt like comparing it to another cop story that deals with the subject of racial inequality by also discussing the first season of David Simon's 2002-2008 HBO Drama The Wire. We also talk in detail about the concept of Sensitivity Editors and other ideas to bring more grounding to your work and...
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Strange Cases in Cosmic Horror at Gen Con 2018
Ugly Talk
Cosmic Horror isn't just tentacles monsters and insanity. It is the loneliness of the outsider. It is the realization of how small you our in a system vastly beyond your own. Strange Cases of Cosmic Horror will reveal some examples of media that might now be viewed as traditional cosmic horror, but still fits within the genre's aesthetic. Furthermore, this panel briefly delves into how RPG systems can use the ideas and aesthetics of cosmic horror to provide a voice to individuals who struggle to express their experiences. Panel includes: RPPR's David Dobleman, Aldente...
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June Hiatus
Ugly Talk
Travis and Matt are currently dealing with personal issues. We will return in July.
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Episode 21 - Paranoia Agent
Ugly Talk
Paranoia Agent is an animated program from Satoshi Kon, director of animated films such as Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, and Paprika. Paranoia Agent was described as a way for him to use ideas that he wasn't able to fit into his other feature films, connecting the scraps into an anthology by way of a framing device. In this episode we discuss the themes of Paranoia Agent and the meanings of anthologies, series, and serials. Media Referenced in this Episode ?
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The Hasbrothers - Battleship
Ugly Talk
As of now, as of right this second, there's a new dynamic at play. And this dynamic is the final from here on out until I state otherwise. There'll be no more debate, no more discussion, no more compromise. It's me speaking you listening, me saying you doing. Do you understand that? It's time for a new course of action. A new direction. A game change. You're joining me in the navy.
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Episode 20 - Speedrunning
Ugly Talk
Speedrunning is a rather esoteric hobby of trying to beat games as quickly as possible under specific conditions. It's difficult to say where it began or what the first speedrun was, but on this day in the year of our lord two thousand eighteen it's grown into a large community that contains many smaller subcultures. To the outside observer, speedrunning may seem like a fruitless or impossible task to pick up, as observation of the fastest run shows that runners immediately understand the whole game and execute it to the finest degree in ways not conceived by the developers. What...
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Episode 19 - Integration of Mechanics
Ugly Talk
What's the difference between a gimmick and a core mechanic? In this episode, we discuss various games with strange ideas and odd control schemes in an effort to get to the bottom of this discussion, and also how this can be applied to your own games, be they tabletop or otherwise. Strap yourself in and be ready for some spoilers. Media Referenced in this Episode: Do you have some writing ideas for Posthuman Studios? Check out !
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Episode 18 - The Cry of Mann
Ugly Talk
The Cry of Mann was an interactive webseries that ran from October 23rd until November 2nd of 2017, performed by the members of the sketch comedy group Wham City. The series followed the trials and tribulations of the Mann family who have been waiting for their patriarch, Tank Mann, to return home, hopefully in time for the annual celebration of TROOL Day. Each family member has their own individual struggles and the family business seems to be unraveling without Tank at the helm. The main crux of this series was that the whole set was lined with telephones and viewers were...
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Episode 17 - American Horror
Ugly Talk
This month we readdress last years topic on cultural storytelling. This time we are looking at American Culture as can be seen through the lens of American Horror cinema. This does a bit to get into, so give it a listen. We talk about ghosts, film, horror franchises, Travis gets burpy, and the hidden political subtext of Saw. It gets weird. Check it out. Media Referenced in this Episode:
info_outlineAt Gen Con last year, Travis and Matt let the fine con attendees in on the secrets they had learned about online roleplaying via their time on The Drunk and the Ugly. Also along for the ride was Aaron Carsten of Role Playing Public Radio, talking about his recent experiences running games online and the differences from his time at the table.